The Spring term began well with two days of professional learning on assessment and inquiry. It was a good way to start the term as assessment is the PYP professional development focus. As coordinator, I have followed this up with further opportunities for the staff to use the learned students assessment protocol, which provides an opportunity for a small group of teachers to share their assessment task and get collegial feedback. The feedback is a mixture of warm and cool and focuses on the information that can be gathered from the assessment sample, not only content but also on transdisciplinary skills, how the assessment was used to further student learning and how the task was or could be differentiated. The best aspect of revisiting the use of the assessment protocol was that the teachers were engaged in collegial discussion about student learning with colleagues from the EYP, PYP and Specialist teachers and the feedback was that they valued the opportunity.

In addition we are trailing a new format for collegial planning - starting our planning with exploring opportunities for students and staff to  demonstrate or undertake action and to record conceptual learning goals.

Bench-marking of PYP 1-6 students in English and mathematics was recorded in a system that enabled students progress throughout the PYP to be identified numerically and visually. 

My main focus when I started as the PYP Curriculum Coordinator in February 2016 was to work collaboratively with all the PYP teachers to complete the development of single subject scope and sequence documents, so that the particular elements of each scope and sequence could be embedded into the transdisciplianry unit overviews before the end of the year. This would ensure that as a team, we all would start the new academic year with curriculum documentation to guide and support teaching and learning. The challenge here for me was to keep the motivation for the process positive, as the staff had been working on these documents for 18 months already and it took a lot of time and collaboration to achieve the final working documents. So far this year, teachers have been positive about the documents, they are being used to record teaching and learning and to guide planning, assessment and reporting. In the following months, before the end of this academic year, we will collaboratively review how useful the teachers have found the documents, discuss changes that need to be made to the scope and sequence and check the alignment of single subject knowledge and understanding within each of the transdisciplinary units.  

After doing a lot of research, engaging in discussions with the staff and looking at the IB.'s ICT documents, I developed an ICT scope and sequence for the PYP, at ISH. The first scope and sequence was very prescriptive. This was a useful starting place, as many of the teachers lacked confidence and had limited experience teaching ICT.  After the first term of implementation, which came with a lot of in class support from myself, students had developed basic ICT skills, established an understanding of simple ICT vocabulary and were familiar with classroom and school protocols regarding ICT usage at ISH. Teachers had also gained confidence teaching ICT to their classes and had begun experimenting with different tools. Therefore we needed  a scope and sequence that was more inquiry based, aligning with our school curriculum and philosophy. Further research and collaboration lead to a new ICT scope and sequence that was inquiry based, including skill development, application, protocols and ICT safety. During this time, teachers also experimented with digital tools, such as Seesaw and Edublog that could be used to record and share with families student learning. A collaborative discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each tool will be discussed and a decisions will be made, so that at the beginning of the new academic year a digital tool to share learning with families for K - PYP 6 will be in place. 

The third major impact of my first six months as coordinator was to develop grade level parent handbooks to provide families with information relevant to their child's class and learning and general information about school routines and procedures. The handbooks were made available on the school website and links to the handbooks were available in the weekly parent newsletter. 

So far this academic year, my focus as coordinator, has been supporting staff with the implementation of quality learning and assessment. I have worked on this by meeting with each grade level group on a monthly rotation. During these meetings we collaborate to ensure teaching and learning is based on the curriculum, is inquiry based and enables students to demonstrate their learning through quality assessment. Also that the results of formative and summative assessment are used to influence teaching and learning. In addition I go into classroom on a monthly basis to model teaching, support small groups, team teach or observe students so that I can provide the teacher with feedback on student learning. Alternatively, I have meet with individual teachers to assist with assessment implantation or planning, collegial discussions or the use of Managebac.

In addition, I have been responsible for staff professional development and collaborative meetings with grade level staff and specialists. In these sessions we have been focused on collaborating to ensure the transdisciplinary units are truly transdisciplinary and that student and staff action is encouraged and recognised. The collaborative aspect of the meetings has undergone change, as initially collaboration was a sharing of what each teacher / specialist was planning to do in relation to a unit, rather than how as a group of professionals we can develop quality learning through this transdisciplinary unit.

My support for staff development will be extended, as we are introducing a whole school program that focuses on teacher professional development. This is being done in partnership with Professor Gerard Calnin from Melbourne University. The program will be introduced this term and be implemented across the school K - DP at the beginning of the new academic year. I have been and active team member in the research, preparation and implementation of this program. . 

This process has had its challenges, however overall, staff have been supportive and open with their feedback. My success so far has been aided by my study in pedagogy and leadership and  the support and guidance from my principal. 

I spend 50% of my time coordinating and 50% of my time teaching. This year I am teaching music to PYP 1-3 and mathematics to a small group of PYP 6 students. In music, the students are developing their musical vocabulary and understanding of musical elements, this is enabling them to discuss music using appropriate and accurate terminology, they create and record music, using non-tuned percussion instruments, their voice and body. and are building a repertoire of known songs. In mathematics, i have implemented a range of strategies to support students that have had challenges with mathematics. We are building basic number accuracy and speed. Students are building their number skills by solving problems multiple ways and digitally recording their think process. This enables me to sit together with a student and identify their misconceptions and  reinforce the successful strategies. This is a time consuming process but is showing results. In addition, students are gaining a deep understanding of mathematic concepts by exploring each concepts with concrete materials before applying them in real world situations in which they have the ability to direct and assess.

Creating a positive energy during my first session of professional development for the staff was a crucial aspect of my new position. Fortunately, everyone had recently had the opportunity to visit another school and be inspired and reflect on their individual teaching practice. As well as reflecting on how we as a school are developing, what programs are working well and what programs we could adapt or trial.
The opportunity to share as a group the feedback from the session was positive and valuable, as it encouraged collegial discussion about teaching practice and programs implementation.
In addition, the whole school had participated in professional development relating to the 6+1 writing traits. Some staff had already experimented with aspects of the PD in their classroom and staff were happy to follow up and collaborate on writing assessment and developing RAFTS. 
To finish up the session. two staff members that had been away for professional development shared their learning about the Making it Happen program and an activity that could be used in the classroom (Silent shared writing).
Throughout the session there was a positive energy and lots of colligial discussion. Thanks to the great team. 

I am reflecting on how my enthusiasm and abundance of ideas, as a newly appointed coordinator can be shared with all staff members and become part of our school practice without upsetting everyone.  As part of a school that has gone through a lot of leadership change, I am aware of some staff's reluctance to follow the new kid on the block.. Some staff are weary of new people coming in and making changes. I value the experience staff have in the area of education, collaboration and the established partnerships with the community. I want to harness the experience and expertise of the staff. I have been at the school for almost two years, but am considered a newbie, with many staff having been hear for close to 10 years.